Ajinkya Rahane Says India Should Use Third ODI to Settle All-Rounder Role
Ajinkya Rahane expects Mohammed Siraj to return and wants Nitish Kumar Reddy back, saying Yashasvi Jaiswal’s absence changes little for India.
By SportCricket Desk · 2 Oct 2026 · 2 min read
With the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle under way, Ajinkya Rahane believes India’s third ODI against West Indies is a good chance to fine-tune the team and give key players time in the middle.
Changes Rahane expects
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Rahane said he wanted to see one or two changes. He thinks Mohammed Siraj is likely to come back into the XI, and he would like Nitish Kumar Reddy to return too. If Reddy is in India’s World Cup plans, his role as an all-rounder needs to be defined, and Rahane said giving him confidence now is important.
The Jaiswal question
Yashasvi Jaiswal has not played in the series. Rahane felt India’s batting line-up is already settled and that more thought should go into the all-rounder spot instead. He suggested that if Jaiswal misses out again, it makes little difference.
Jaiswal has played six ODIs for India, scoring 285 runs at an average of 71.25 with two centuries.
Reddy’s record
Reddy played the first ODI but made way for debutant Auqib Nabi in the second. In seven ODIs he has 100 runs at an average of 33.33 and three wickets.
The finale therefore gives India another opportunity to look at different combinations as they plan for the longer term.
